insideKENT Magazine Issue 62 - May 2017 | Page 69

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT Folkestone Creative Quarter IS FOR THE SEEKERS, THE LOVERS OF THE CONSIDERED AND HANDCRAFTED Prepare to be challenged and delighted. GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO LEISURELY STROLL, FIND A SEAT IN THE MOST ENTICING CAFÉS, PICK UP A BOOK, ENJOY DELICIOUS COFFEE AND CAKE. LEAVE SPACE TO FIND YOURSELF IN CONVERSATIONS WITH STRANGERS. This is an urban village of designer makers, technophiles and artists. Shops are not just sales outlets, galleries are studios, bars are performance spaces, cafés are bookshops and offices. Expect to see jewellers, tailors, painters, framers, designers and architects all industriously working. This is a chance to talk to the enterprising folk that have chosen to live and work in Folkestone. They love the beach and the high- speed links to the capitol and Europe, but they also love the sense of community. This is your chance to find the bespoke and the unique from passionate and knowledgeable people. The Creative Quarter is a hive of creativity – filmmakers collaborate with photographers, who work with theatre producers and fashion designers, who bump into copywriters who can sort website content. The Creative Quarter is a window into this creative village, a unique project envisioned by The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and in the trustworthy hands of the Creative Foundation. If you haven't heard of the Creative Foundation before, maybe you know of Folkestone Book Festival or Folkestone Triennial. In the evenings, enjoy tapas, fine dining, real ales, live music, indie film nights alongside theatre and comedy at Quarterhouse – check out the new National Theatre Live programme if you fancy a taste of London theatre, without the hassle. Don't be surprised if you see a fashionista shopkeeper playing a DJ set in the local bar in the evening, or a performance artist serving up Kentish produce at the farmers’ market. but they have hot competition from Kipps with a mainly vegan wholefood menu, and Steep Street are fast gaining a reputation for their handmade Vegan Chocolate Shop. If you want a deeper insight into the workings of the Creative Quarter, make sure you put 17th and 18th June in your diary. The annual Open Quarter event sees over 70 creatives opening their flats and studios for the weekend. If you arrive in Folkestone and you're wondering where to start, just ask a stranger, you might just find yourself on a very lovely adventure. www.creativequarterfolkestone.org.uk Love food? Folkestone has already built an exceptional reputation for quality dining. Did you know there is a booming vegan scene? Beano’s have been serving vegetarian and vegan food for five years on Tontine Street, 69